Downtown living is a mystery to some people, and our downtown residents field some strange questions. Let’s listen in:

Loud Hawaiian Shirt Guy (LHSG): Hello, downtown resident. Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?

Stunningly attractive downtown resident (SADR): Of course not. Sit down on this bench and enjoy the flowers while we talk.

LHSG: Well, first, I’ve been dying to know. Where do you park?

SADR: Oh, no! Where do we park? Where’s my car? No, no, kidding. We downtown residents have quite the sense of humor. I park in a garage attached to my condo. Most of the apartments and condos have parking attached or nearby. Can I run into the coffeehouse and get you a latte?

LHSG: Sure. Thanks, it’s delicious. Next, where do you get your groceries?

SADR: Oh, I love this one. First, I like to use local merchants for day-to-day stuff, like Grand Central Market. I also go to Meijer like the rest of the world, and like most people, I drive.

But here’s the crazy thing. There are so many great restaurants downtown that I often just walk across the street for sushi, sandwiches or steaks.

LHSG: Don’t you miss having a lawn? (He looks at his grass-stained shorts and his calloused hands.) Probably not, huh?

SADR: Nope. The flowers downtown beat my landscaping efforts any day of the week, and I use the time I save on yard work for biking or walking trails. There are parks and free concerts and even swing dancing on Tuesdays. I have a deck for grilling and sitting out. We entertain friends a lot — everyone wants to come downtown.

LHSG: And they pay the parking? It’s like $6!

SADR: In the evenings the meters are free. But the price — it’s like the entry fee into a downtown cultural playground. You get to eat at unique restaurants, go to a free concert, see art. I say rejoice. Be glad to have this option.

LHSG (whispering): Is it safe?

SADR: I feel very safe, very comfortable downtown. I've lived here for several years and worked here for many more. I walk all over by myself, and, while I pay attention, I've never had a problem. And how many people are lucky enough to live near a police station?

Back to you, Sharon: Thank you, made-up characters!

I asked a few actual residents what they like about living downtown, and these are their answers.

"Personally, I love the access to amazing local restaurants and nightlife, and I love walking to work in the morning down Monroe Center under a canopy of trees in summer, with the amazing 19th/early 20th century architecture. It makes me feel like I'm in the 5th Arrondisement in Paris, but I can speak the language."

"I love getting home from work on Friday and not using the car again until Monday morning. I love being on a first-name basis with a half-dozen bartenders (can anyone say 'Noooorrrrmmmmm')."

"Walking to the Van Andel Arena for an impromptu hockey game. And better yet — walking home. Eating a chili dog at 2 a.m. at The Dog Pit. And walking home. Or running the Riverbank Run or the Grand Rapids Marathon, and walking home from the finish line. And my favorite alternative to walking home — a $2 pedicab ride. Cheap enough to make me cry."

"I love being so close to the best restaurants in the city — I can even have more than one glass of wine because I walk home afterwards. It's beautiful downtown; I can walk the river every day. When I leave my condo, not only am I convenient to every highway for quick access to the rest of the world, but I just shut the doors and don't worry about my lawn."

"Four coffee shops within walking distance from home — all with free Internet access. Heated sidewalks. No snow shoveling. No mowing. And the diversity."

Yes, it’s a GOOD thing.

Sharon Evoy is executive director of Grand Rapids' Downtown Alliance. She writes exclusively for Business Review.